A New Filipino Cinema has been exciting film-goers at festivals around the world, and three of its leading directors will have works on display at this year’s Cinema Pacific. Of the films of Lav Diaz, the Film Society of Lincoln Center wrote: “Their protean beauty and moral complexities are matched only by their heroic running times: six hours is a common length, nine hours to be expected.” At their best, Lav Diaz’s films reveal just how much other films leave out. Our selection, Norte, The End of History, is Diaz’s contemporary adaptation of Crime and Punishment, and is a relatively brief 250 minutes long.

Raya Martin is a great experimenter with cinematic forms, and his comedic La Ultima Pelicula  (made with Canadian Mark Peranson in Mexico, making it a Pacific Rim film par excellence) addresses the death of both Mayan civilization and the film medium, utilizing seven different shooting formats from 8mm film to HD video.

Hannah Espia is the rising talent who made a splash last year with the Philippines’ 2013 Academy Award submission, Transit, which tells intertwined stories of Filipino guest workers in Israel.

Schedule

Fri., MAY 1, 6:45 p.m., Bijou Art Cinemas: TRANSIT (Hannah Espia)

Sat., MAY 2, 9:30 p.m., Bijou Art Cinemas: LA ULTIMA PELICULA (Raya Martin)

Sun., MAY 3, 11:00 a.m., Bijou Art Cinemas: NORTE, THE END OF HISTORY (Lav Diaz)